The first letter arrived on a Tuesday.
It wasn't threatening at first glance. No red ink. No dramatic language. Just a plain white envelope slipped through the café's mail slot sometime between the morning rush and lunch.
Isabella didn't think much of it until she saw there was no return address.
Her fingers hesitated before tearing it open.
Inside was a single sheet of paper.
You should have stayed gone.
Her stomach dropped.
She read it again, hoping she'd misunderstood. Hoping it was some tasteless prank from a bored local caught up in the gossip storm.
But her instincts screamed otherwise.
She folded the letter slowly and slipped it into her pocket just as the bell above the café door chimed.
Nolan stepped inside.
He took one look at her face and knew.
"What is it?" he asked quietly.
She shook her head. "Nothing."
He didn't believe her. "Isabella."
She exhaled slowly and pulled the paper from her pocket, handing it to him without a word.
Nolan read it once.
Then again.
The air around him seemed to harden.
"This isn't press," he said flatly.
"No," she agreed. "This feels… personal."
Nolan's jaw tightened. "We're not ignoring this."
She bristled. "I'm not shutting down my life every time someone wants to scare me."
"I'm not asking you to," he replied. "I'm asking you to be smart."
Her voice sharpened. "I've been smart for four years."
"And you were alone for four years," he shot back, then immediately softened. "I'm not letting that happen again."
She looked away, anger and something far more dangerous twisting together in her chest.
The second letter came two days later.
This one was bolder.
It was taped to the café door before opening hours, flapping slightly in the morning breeze.
Children pay for their parents' mistakes.
Isabella's hands went cold.
She tore it down quickly, heart pounding, and locked the door before anyone could see. Her breath came fast and shallow as she leaned against the counter, nausea rolling through her.
This wasn't about Nolan anymore.
This was about Juan.
Her phone rang.
Nolan.
She answered immediately. "It's escalating."
"I know," he said grimly. "I just saw the security feed."
Her chest tightened. "You're watching the café?"
"I told you—I'm staying ahead," he said. "I'm on my way."
When Nolan arrived, he didn't waste time. He locked the door himself, flipped the sign to Closed, and pulled out his phone.
"We're changing routines," he said. "School pickup. Drop-offs. Everything."
She rounded on him. "You don't get to panic."
"I don't get to be calm," he snapped. "Not when someone mentions my son."
The word sent a jolt through her.
"You think this is about you?" she shot back. "This is about punishing me."
Nolan went still. "No. This is about leverage."
Her chest burned. "I won't let them use him."
"Neither will I," he said fiercely. "Which is why we don't pretend this will blow over."
She crossed her arms, fighting the tremor in them. "Who do you think it is?"
Nolan didn't hesitate. "Someone with money. Patience. And a reason to hate me."
Her stomach twisted. "Your rival."
"Yes," he said. "Caleb Black."
The name settled heavily.
"I thought he disappeared," Isabella said.
"He did," Nolan replied. "After my father pushed him out. Men like him don't disappear they wait."
Her breath hitched. "And Audrey?"
Nolan's gaze sharpened. "What about her?"
Isabella hesitated. "She's been… distant. Asking questions she never asked before."
Suspicion flickered in Nolan's eyes. "We'll look into it."
She swallowed. "I don't want Juan scared."
"I won't tell him anything he doesn't need to know," Nolan said. "But I won't lie if he asks."
Her voice wavered. "He's four."
"I know," Nolan said softly. "That's why I'm here."
That night, Isabella couldn't sleep.
She lay awake listening to the familiar sounds of the house Juan's soft breathing, the ocean outside, Nolan moving quietly down the hall like a sentinel.
She hated how safe that made her feel.
It scared her.
A soft knock came at her bedroom door.
She sat up instantly. "Yes?"
Nolan stepped inside slowly. "Juan's awake."
Her heart leapt. "What's wrong?"
"He had a nightmare," Nolan said. "He asked for you."
She was out of bed in seconds.
Juan was sitting up, eyes glossy, clutching his stuffed whale tightly.
"Mommy," he whispered as she rushed in.
She gathered him into her arms immediately, pressing kisses into his hair. "I'm here, baby."
Nolan stood back, giving them space but Juan reached out with one small hand.
"Stay," he said simply.
Nolan froze.
Isabella hesitated only a second before nodding.
Nolan sat carefully on the edge of the bed.
Juan's gaze flicked between them. "Why are people mad?"
Isabella's throat tightened. "Who said people were mad?"
"I heard you talking," Juan said quietly. "About letters."
Her heart broke.
Nolan leaned forward slightly. "Sometimes when grown-ups make big choices, other grown-ups don't like it."
Juan frowned. "Did I do something wrong?"
"No," Isabella said immediately, voice firm. "Never."
Nolan's voice softened. "This isn't because of you. It's because of me."
Juan studied him. "Are you going away?"
The question landed like a punch.
Nolan didn't hesitate. "No."
Juan's shoulders relaxed slightly. "Promise?"
Nolan glanced at Isabella, then back at Juan. "I promise."
Juan nodded, satisfied, and curled back into Isabella's side.
Within minutes, he was asleep again.
Isabella stayed there long after, holding him, heart aching.
When she finally looked up, Nolan was watching her.
"This is why I ran," she whispered. "I didn't want him caught in your war."
Nolan shook his head. "This war came to him because of me. And I won't let it take him."
She searched his face. "And if it costs you everything?"
His answer was immediate. "Then I pay."
The next morning, Nolan made his move.
He called his private security team back into full operation. He froze certain accounts. He reopened old files.
Caleb Black had resurfaced.
And he wasn't acting alone.
Audrey's name appeared on the screen late that afternoon, flagged by Nolan's investigator.
Isabella stared at it in disbelief.
"No," she whispered. "She wouldn't."
Nolan's expression was grim. "Betrayal rarely looks like betrayal at first."
Her chest tightened painfully. "She was my friend."
"She still is," Nolan said. "To your face."
Outside, a black car idled longer than it should have.
This time, Nolan didn't just block the view.
He memorized the license plate.
The past wasn't whispering anymore.
It was circling.
And Isabella realized with chilling clarity
Running once had saved her.
But this time, standing her ground might be the only thing that saved her son.